Thump. Slam. Smack. And a voice that could be mistaken for that of a songbird.
These are the sounds of morning.
The thump of my daughter’s feet hitting the floor. The slam of the bathroom door and the smack of the toilet lid hitting the back of the toilet. All just an undertone to the music that pours out of my daughter’s mouth. Joy oozes from her lips before her feet hit the ground each morning and it continues as she hurriedly prepares herself for a new day.
Running to the bathroom, she sings. Doing her “business,” she sings. Tearing apart her drawers in the search of the perfect outfit, she sings.
My daughter is fully prepared for the arrival of morning. She looks forward to it and every single day her whole being overflows with joy. Her voice rings out in beautiful song as she wipes the sleep from her eyes and untangles her growing limbs from the blankets that cover her bed.
These sounds of morning wake my body and mind each day, but unlike my daughter, I am never fully prepared. My body is tired, but has work to do. My mind resists the call to leave the haven of my bed, but the sounds of morning force me to my feet. And my heart responds to the call of duty, but it does so begrudgingly.
I admit that it’s been awhile since I’ve felt joyful upon waking each morning. Even when I have numerous reasons to be glad.
A child singing. A baby cooing. A glorious sunrise. Redemption and light. The smell of breakfast sizzling on the stove and the laughter of a boy and a girl who were given to me by the One who has given me more than my share of good things.
Maybe it’s time that I allow the sounds of morning to wake not just my body and mind, but my soul as well. A soul that is sleepy from the worry and work and weariness of this life. A soul that has failed to receive the joy that emerges each morning, just as it was promised.
I could stand to learn something from the little girl who wakes up singing each day. For she has found and experienced the joy in each morning, the joy that comes from the One who promised it. And just like Him, she freely gives it away. Now, if only I would choose to receive it.
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